Nutritional status of children with chronic hepatitis B in a population with low socioeconomic status

Nutritional status and screening tools to detect nutritional risk in hospitalized patients with hepatic echinococcosis

Background: Echinococcosis is a chronic consumptive liver disease. Little research has been carried out on the nutritional status of infected patients, though liver diseases are often associated with malnutrition. Our study investigated four different nutrition screening tools, to assess nutritional risks of hospitalized patients with echinococcosis. Methods: Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS 2002), Short Form of Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA-SF), Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST), and the Nutrition Risk Index (NRI) were used to assess 164 patients with alveolar echinococcosis (AE) and 232 with cystic echinococcosis (CE). Results were then compared with European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) criteria for malnutrition diagnosis. Results: According to ESPEN standards for malnutrition diagnosis, 29.2% of CE patients and 31.1% of AE patients were malnourished. The malnutrition risk rates for CE and AE patients were as follows: NRS 2002 – 40.3% and 30.7%; MUST – 51.5% and 50.9%; MNA-SF – 46.8% and 44.1%; and NRI – 51.1% and 67.4%. In patients with CE, MNA-SF and NRS 2002 results correlated well with ESPEN results (k = 0.515, 0.496). Area-under-the-curve (AUC) values of MNA-SF and NRS 2002 were 0.803 and 0.776, respectively. For patients with AE, NRS 2002 and MNA-SF results correlated well with ESPEN (k = 0.555, 0.493). AUC values of NRS 2002 and MNA-SF were 0.776 and 0.792, respectively. Conclusion: This study is the first to analyze hospitalized echinococcosis patients based on these nutritional screening tools. Our results suggest that NRS 2002 and MNA-SF are suitable tools for nutritional screening of inpatients with echinococcosis.

PREVALENCE OF MALNUTRITION IN CHILDREN WITH CHRONIC HEPATITIS B INFECTION

BACKGROUND

There have been limited studies investigating the impact of chronic hepatitis B virus infection on the growth of children.

OBJECTIVE

Our objective was to investigate the prevalence of malnutrition in children with chronic hepatitis B infection.

METHODS

The nutritional status of patients was retrospectively evaluated in the outpatient Clinic of Pediatric Gastroenterology between February and November 2014. During the study, biochemical laboratory parameters, duration of disease, liver biopsy scores, and medication were evaluated. Additionally body mass index and body mass index centiles were calculated.

RESULTS

Of the 96 patients in this study, 68 were male and 28 were female, and the mean age was 144.7±43.9 months and 146.1±47.3 months, respectively. According to body mass index centiles five (5.2%) patients were underweight, seven (7.3%) patients were overweight, and seven (7.3%) patients were obese.

CONCLUSIONS

Moderate rates of malnutrition (including obesity) were found in chronic hepatitis B infection. Additional nutritional status information of healthy and sick children should be assessed in the infection's early period, and timely interventions should be initiated.

Liver disease and malnutrition

Patients with hepatic disorders are exceptionally vulnerable to developing malnutrition because of the key role played by the liver in regulating the nutritional state and the energy balance. Moreover, the presence of chronic liver disorders could reduce the appetite and thus influence the nutrient intake. Poor nutritional status has been shown in various patient groups with hepatic disorders, and particularly in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis who are at high nutritional risk. It is well established that malnourished patients with liver diseases generally have a higher risk of developing adverse clinical outcomes and increased healthcare costs. Nutrition screening with the Subjective Global Assessment and anthropometric measurements are an important first step in the early identification of malnutrition and initiates the whole nutrition care process. It is therefore important for appropriate nutrition policies and protocols to be implemented so that all patients with chronic liver diseases are monitored closely from a nutritional standpoint. Early and evidence-based nutritional interventions are eagerly needed to minimize the nutritional decline associated with chronic liver disorders and ultimately improve the prognosis of such patients. This review includes a comprehensive analysis of methods to identify malnutrition in patients with chronic liver diseases as well as the extent and impact of the malnutrition problem in selected patient populations.